Rail-joint



S. R R 0 ml. S W l `(No Model.)

BAIL JOINT;

l,Pa/sentedMar. l5, 1887.

. INI/EJVTOR WHWESSES fm www 0 NV PETERS. PhMh-Lkhgmpher, Washington, D.C4

STATES i trice..

PATENT RAIL-Jouw.V

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 359,521, dated Marchl5, 18E?.

Application lilcd July 10, 1F86. Serial No. 207,711. (No model.)

To all 'whom it may concern: l Be it known that I, J osErH W. Sronns; acitizen of the United States, residing at New London, in the county ot'New London and l the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1represents a horizontal section of lmy invention on the line m x, Fig.3. Fig. 2 isa plan or top view thereof. l Fig. 3 is a verticalcross-section on the line y y, Fig. l. Fig.

1 4 is a side View of one of thelish-plates. Fig.

5 is aviewot' an end of agrail properly shaped to form the joint shownin the other Jfigures.

Similarletters indicate corresponding parts.

In the'drawings, the letters A and B designate two rails, which arejoined by means of iish-plates C and bolls D. The rails are formed, asusual, of the head77 a, the web b, and the base c. In the joint shown inthe drawings the head and web of each rail are cut off obliquely, whilethe base may be cutoff at right angles at the center of the oblique endof the web; or it may be dividedat the center of theweb and a recess, d,cut into one side and a projection, e, formed on the other side thereof,the projection on one rail being made to t into the recess formed in theother. By making the ends of the two rails in this form a sliding jointis obtained, by means of which the bases of the two rails willalways'remain in contact, while the heads thereof will separate butslightly as the rails are contracted by changes of temperature. Theopening thus formed` between the two rails being oblique, the wheels ofthemcar would at all times during their Apassage over this joint restrrnly on the surface of the rail, and their passage over this jointcould b e accomplished without the jolt usually felt when passing overjoints formed in the 'old manner, particularly when the rails have beenworn and the ends thereof have been forced out of shape byV continuedblows from the car-wheels, the force of which 5o increases with thedistance between the ends of the rails. To prevent as much as possiblethis defacement of the ends of the rails, it is necessary that the headsof the two rails should be kept in close contact at all times. This Iaccomplish by means of the elastic fish-plates C,

which are secured on each side of the web b each side of the joint andon opposite sidesl of the rail, so as to forni a fulcrum, or a recess,g, may be cut into one side-of each of the plates and the latter soplaced that the recesses come on opposite sides of the joint; or boththe washer and the recess may be employed, as shown in the drawings.

y To permit the contraction of the rails above mentioned, slots h areformed in one end of each of the fish-plates, while holes' i, into whichthe bolts D t, are cut into the other, the fish-plates being so placedthat the bolts which pass through holesi in the ishplate on one side ofthe web will pass through slots h in the fish-plate on the other side ofthe web.

From the foregoing description it will be understood that thecontraction of the rails will cause an oblique opening to appear be,`tween the heads of the two rails, while their bases will always remainin contact with each other. This opening I close by springing7 the websof the t-wo rails sufficiently toward each other to bring' their headsin contact by means of the above-described elastic fishplates, which,when the bolts D have been properly tightened, act as springs, theirpoint of impact being the washers f, which, being on opposite sides ofthe joint, will act equally on each rail, forming an elastic joint,which has a tendency to keep the heads of the two rails in contact. ToVprevent the nuts on the bolts D from turning after the fish-plates havebeen properly adj usted, I place 'under the nuts the nut-locks j,consisting of thin flat plates of .metal provided with a projection, k.In the fish-plates are cavities Z, which receive these projections andprevent .the plates from turning on the bolts. Then these nut-locks areapplied to movable bolts, these cavities are elongated to permit thenecessary movement.

l After the nuts on the bolts have been properly tightened, the ends ofthese plates are ICO turned over one ol' the edges of the nuts, Fig. 1,thereby holding theni in position and pre venting their being turned byaccident. It is evident that any other forni of nut-lock may beemployed; but I prefer that here shown and described.

I do not desire to confine myself to the forni given to the end et' therail in the drawings, as any other shape may be given to the lowerportion of the rail, provided the oblique end of the head is retained.

lVhen desired, the corners at the june-tion of the web with the base andthe head ol' the rail may be rounded, in which case it will be necessaryto round oil" the corners of the iishplates to correspond.

Vhat I clainl as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination, with the rails A and B, having oblique endsconstructed to overlap each other, of the elastic iish-plates C and thebolts D, passing through one of the rails and through the iish-plates,substantially as described.

2. The combination, with the rails A and B, having oblique endsconstructed to overlap each other, ol the elastic iish-plates C, the

washers f, placed between said fish-plates and the rails, and the boltsD, passing through one of the rails and through the fish-plates,substantially as described.

3. The eo1nbination,wth the rails Aand B, having oblique endsconstructed, to overlap each other, of the elastic fish-plates C,provided with the recess g, and the bolts D, passing through one of therails and through the sh-plates, substantially as described.

4. The'combination, with the rails A and B,

having oblique ends constructed to overlap each other, of theiish-plates C, the bolts D, passing through one ot the rails and throughthe fish-plates, and the nut-locks j, substantially. as described.

5. rIhe combination, with the rails A and B, having oblique endsconstructed to overlap each other, of the slotted fish-plates C, thebolts I), passing through one of the rails and through the {ish-plates,the plates j, forming the nut-locks, the projections 7s on said plates,and the oblong cavities Z in the fish-plates, constructed to receivesaid projections, substan tially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOSEPH W. STORRS. L. s]

Witnesses:

JOHN E. lllnnow, WM. H. Bnnv 15s.

